# US 11,992,613 B2 · Impeller and motor assembly > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,992,613 B2 - Document ID: US11992613B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/048,792 - Filed: 2022-10-21 - Published: 2023-05-04 - Granted: 2024-05-28 - Earliest claimed: 2012-12-18 - Assignees: Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Limited - Applicants: Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Limited - Inventors: Johannes Nicolaas Bothma; Scott Bent; Adam John Darby - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11992613B2 ## CPC - A61M 16/0066: {Blowers or centrifugal pumps} - F04D 25/0606: {the electric motor being specially adapted for integration in the pump} - F04D 29/023: {especially adapted for elastic fluid pumps} - F04D 29/053: Shafts - F04D 29/281: {for fans or blowers} - A61M 16/0069: {the speed thereof being controlled by respiratory parameters, e.g. by inhalation} - A61M 16/109: {the humidifying liquid or the beneficial agent} - A61M 16/1095: {in the connecting tubes} - A61M 16/16: Devices to humidify the respiration air {(A61M16/1045 takes precedence)} - A61M 2205/0216: Materials providing elastic properties, e.g. for facilitating deformation and avoid breaking - A61M 2205/0272: Electro-active or magneto-active materials - A61M 2205/3368: Temperature - A61M 2205/3606: cooled - A61M 2205/362: by gas flow - A61M 2205/42: Reducing noise - A61M 2207/00: Methods of manufacture, assembly or production - F05D 2260/96: Preventing, counteracting or reducing vibration or noise - F05D 2300/43: Synthetic polymers, e.g. plastics; Rubber - A61M: DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY (introducing media into or onto the bodies of animals A61D7/00; means for inserting tampons A61F13/26; devices for administering food or medicines orally A61J; containers for collecting, storing or administering blood or medical fluids A61J1/05); DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY (surgery A61B; chemical aspects of surgical articles A61L); DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR {(Electrotherapy, e.g. producing anaesthesia by the use of alternating or intermittent currents A61N1/36021)} - F04D: NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT PUMPS (engine fuel-injection pumps F02M; ion pumps H01J41/12; electrodynamic pumps H02K44/02) - F05D: INDEXING SCHEME FOR ASPECTS RELATING TO NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, GAS-TURBINES OR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS ## Abstract A breathing assistance apparatus has a pressurised gases source featuring a lightweight impeller with a plastic shaft. The impeller is shroudless. The plastic shaft is supported within the stator by a bearing structure. A resilient motor mount couples the stator and the housing and provide compliance and/or damping for the motor. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A breathing assistance apparatus comprising: a pressurised gases source comprising: a housing, a gases inlet, and a gases outlet adapted to emit pressurised gases to an outlet of the breathing assistance apparatus, and a motor comprising: a rotor including an opening including a ledge, a rotatable shaft arranged to extend through the opening, a plastic insert contacting the rotatable shaft and the ledge, wherein the plastic insert comprises at least one axially protruding portion that contacts the rotatable shaft, and a lightweight impeller on the rotatable shaft. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The breathing assistance apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the lightweight impeller is shroudless or otherwise has reduced material. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The breathing assistance apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the motor further comprises a stator and at least one bearing structure to support the rotatable shaft within the stator, the at least one bearing structure having one or more flexible and/or resilient bearing mounts, and the rotatable shaft is located within the stator. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The breathing assistance apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the one or more bearing mounts provide compliance and/or preload and/or damping for the plastic rotatable shaft. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The breathing assistance apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the rotatable shaft is formed and coupled to the rotor by injection moulding. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The breathing assistance apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the motor further comprises: a flexible and/or resilient motor mount that couples the stator and the housing to provide compliance and/or damping for the motor, and a partition to define first and second interior regions within the housing, wherein the first and second interior regions are fluidly connected by a crescent shaped opening formed in or by the partition. ### Claim 7 (depends on 3) The breathing assistance apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the at least one bearing structure is supported by the one or more flexible and/or resilient bearing mounts about an axis of the rotatable shaft, wherein the one or more flexible and/or resilient bearing mounts are configured to provide preload on the at least one bearing structure. ### Claim 8 (depends on 3) The breathing assistance apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the one or more flexible and/or resilient bearing mounts comprise a curved annular body engaging with the stator to coerce the curved annular body into an engaged configuration that provides preload to the at least one bearing structure. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The breathing assistance apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plastic insert comprises a first axial dimension closer to the rotatable shaft and a second axial dimension closer to the rotor, the second axial dimension different than the first axial dimension. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The breathing assistance apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the plastic insert comprises: a first portion engaging the rotatable shaft and having the first axial dimension, and a second portion engaging the rotor and having at least the second axial dimension, wherein the second axial dimension substantially corresponds to a rotor axial dimension of the rotor, wherein the first axial dimension is greater than the second axial dimension. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The breathing assistance apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an axial dimension of the plastic insert decreases radially outward from the rotatable shaft. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The breathing assistance apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plastic insert comprises a first radial dimension closer to the rotatable shaft and at least a second radial dimension closer to a radially outward end of the rotor, the at least one second radial dimension different than the first radial dimension. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The breathing assistance apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the ledge spans a perimeter of the opening. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The breathing assistance apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plastic insert engages with the ledge to prevent relative motion between the rotor and the rotatable shaft. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The breathing assistance apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the ledge includes a stepped ledge. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The breathing assistance apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the rotatable shaft is metal. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The breathing assistance apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the rotatable shaft includes a knurled section, said knurled section engaging with the plastic insert. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The breathing assistance apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the opening includes at least one indent projecting outwardly from a center of the opening into the rotor. ### Claim 19 A breathing assistance apparatus comprising: a motor comprising: a rotor including an opening including a ledge, a rotatable shaft located within a stator arranged to extend through the opening, a plastic insert contacting the rotatable shaft and the ledge, thereby coupling the rotatable shaft to the rotor, wherein the plastic insert comprises a continuous material between the rotatable shaft and the ledge, wherein the plastic insert comprises at least one axially protruding portion that contacts the rotatable shaft, at least one bearing structure to support the rotatable shaft within the stator, the at least one bearing structure having one or more flexible and/or resilient bearing mounts, and a lightweight impeller coupled to the rotatable shaft. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The breathing assistance apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the one or more flexible and/or resilient bearing mounts provide compliance and/or preload and/or damping for the rotatable shaft. ### Claim 21 (depends on 19) The breathing assistance apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the rotatable shaft is formed and coupled to the rotor by injection moulding.